Settlement and landscape around Uppåkra, Scania: 500 BC–AD 1050 : An analytical synthesis

Abstract

This dissertation discusses various issues relating to
Iron Age settlements in the area around the central
place of Uppåkra. Most of the sites have been excavated by contract archaeology. The discussion begins
with a presentation of the material from the houses in
the settlements, detailing the different construction
types and discussing the functions and chronological
aspects of the houses. The discussion then moves
on to farmsteads in the area, considering their size,
composition, structure, and long-term changes.
Early Pre-Roman Iron Age farmsteads often consist
of just one small building and have a short lifespan.
From the Late Pre-Roman Iron Age/Early Roman
Iron Age onwards, farms became more varied in size
and number of houses. Finally, the settlements are
analysed at village level. This analysis reveals that the
Iron Age villages around Uppåkra are unregulated,
with irregularly scattered farms placed at various
distances from each other. This structure resembles
that of Ölandic Iron Age villages. The villages consist
of farms of various sizes. There always seems to be
one larger farm in the villages, except in the early
parts of the Pre-Roman Iron Age and the Viking
Age. The settlement pattern of the Uppåkra area is
then analysed. Change over the long term is analysed in terms of mobility/stationarity, continuity/
discontinuity, and dispersion/concentration. The
dissertation then proceeds to study the area's building
intensity. It is suggested that the results reflect the
area's demographics and productivity over the long
term. The final section discusses the economic base
of Uppåkra. Firstly, agrarian production in the area
is examined. Secondly, the other types of production
and their relationship with agrarian production are
investigated. Thirdly, the economic relationships
between the settlements in the surrounding landscape
are examined. The building intensity in the area
increased sharply in the centuries before the Common Era, resulting in denser settlement landscapes.
This coincides with Uppåkra's emergence as a major
site. Building intensity peaks during the Migration
Period, but a sharp and distinct downturn is visible
around AD 540. The steady decline in the number of
known settlements in the area during the Late Iron
Age is probably illusory. This reflects the prolonged
relocation of farmsteads to the locations where the
historical villages would later become permanent, as
shown on 18th- and 19th-century cadastral maps.
From the point of view of the settlement record
in the surroundings, the downfall of Uppåkra does
not appear to have had internal causes. However, the
slow process of restructuring the settlements during
the Late Iron Age, especially compared to those of
their southern neighbours, suggests that the leaders at
Uppåkra were slow to adapt to a changing world.
Overall, this study reveals a rich and densely
populated area around Uppåkra from the Early
Roman Iron Age onwards. It was a central district.
The emergence and rise of Uppåkra is considered
to be related to the expansion of settlements in the
surrounding area. The surrounding area was populous
and wealthy, making Uppåkra a wealthy and important place that benefited the local elite and the people.
Uppåkra and its surroundings were interdependent

• author: Aspeborg, Håkan
• supervisor: Mats Roslund; Fredrik Ekengren
• opponent: forskningschef, docent Zachrisson, Torun, Upplandsmuseet
• organization: Archaeology; Historical Archaeology
• alternative title: Bolplats och landskap kring Uppåkra, Skåne 500 f:Kr. – 1050 e.Kr. : en analytisk syntes
• publishing date: 2026-03-02
• type: Thesis
• publication status: published
• subject: Archaeology
• keywords: Uppåkra, Central Place, landscape archaeology,, Iron Age, Scania, settlements, houses, farmsteads, villages, settlement pattern, hierarchy, production, consumption, exchange
• in: Acta Archaeologica Lundensia Series Prima in 4°
• issue: 38
• pages: 229 pages
• defense location: sal C121, LUX, Helgonavägen 3, Lund
• defense date: 2026-03-27 13:00:00
• ISBN: 978-91-90055-45-8
• ISBN: 978-91-90055-44-1
• project: Settlement and landscape around Uppåkra, Scania: 500 BC–AD1050 – An analytical synthesis
• language: English
• LU publication?: yes
• id: 488280e3-058a-40cf-9339-83d67ac66aaf
• date added to LUP: 2026-01-27 11:38:31
• date last changed: 2026-03-19 15:43:10